There are many gems in “Rembrandt’s Century,” but perhaps none quite as charming as the engraving of a dozing tabby cat oblivious to the panicky mouse behind him. “The Large Cat” by Cornelis Visscher is one of the most famous animal prints of the 17th century. It is one of more than 200 rarely seen prints and drawings, taken largely from the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco’s collections, in “Rembrandt’s Century,” on view at the de Young Museum through June 2. Read More

The director of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, John Edward Buchanan Jr., died Friday at the age of 58 after a battle with cancer, according to museum officials.Buchanan joined the organization, which comprises the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park and the Legion of Honor in Lincoln Park, in 2006 and led the museums to record levels of attendance during his tenure. Read More

Pablo Picasso, the most recognized name in modern art, is the subject of a big, fabulously varied exhibit that opened Saturday at the de Young Museum, where his art, rather than his fame, is featured. “Masterpieces from the Musée National Picasso, Paris” ignores the artist’s “biography and mythology,” says Fine Arts Museums director John E. Buchanan Jr. Instead, it’s a rich retrospective of Picasso’s work featuring 150 paintings, drawings and sculpture. Read More

For the past 20 years, Haller has taught at the San Francisco Zen Center. From 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday, he will speak in the Koret Auditorium at the de Young Museum as part of a lecture titled “Love in the Age of Enlightenment.” Read More